Storyline: Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality, but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans' body heat and electrochemical energy and who imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents: super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.

This movie was amazing all props to Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne it was wonderful acting for this movie. I do not believe in fate either. I found it deep that we are born in a bondage and a jail that we cannot fight in this extreme to the movie. In this movie it was clear to tell that Neo and Trinity were going to be come a thing and that Morpheus was going to be a great teacher. This movie definitely brings up very good points. With knowing what is real and what is not real.

2017-08-09

50 years at a max the Matrix movie will become our real world!

I find it strange that most of the people who watched Matrix were only attracted by the visual effects and overlooked the scientific facts on which this movie was based.

People enjoyed the flying mostly and hence liked Matrix 1 more than they did with 2 and 3 although the answer was in part 3 that is who will win the war eventually between humans and machines. Some people they make fun of the idea that one day humans will be in direct war with machines but those people have not read yet about the Nano technology. The latter technology offers something like the software which teaches Neo how to fight in little time. Well through Nano, they will be able to plant a brainlike chip which works 10,000 times faster than our brain and they are now trying to optimize the speed limit in a way that doesn't endanger our brain which might be burnt working under such speed.

As for the flying part, it is very possible if the science of Psychokinesis is given more consideration and in the near future I reckon they will with the evolution of human body which is going toward less and less movement. Has anyone seen the prototype of the new cars which have no pedals and we use sticks to drive and direct the car in different directions.

Well, I guess the movie has tackled all these scientific aspects alongside psychological and philosophical ones in a very brilliant way and I 100% give this move 20 on a scale out of 10!

2009-03-30

Original and great, but with one important flaw

Released in a time of ground-breaking CGI advancements, the Matrix notched itself above the rest of the competition in terms of film- making. Visually stunning, thought-provoking, and fun, The Matrix is a near-perfect film for any sci-fi fan or any movie fan.

Let's start with the plot and writing. The plot revolves around a hacker named Thomas Anderson who acts as a somewhat ill- explained hacker named Neo by night. One night, he gets contacted by a mysterious internet group led by the omniscient Morpheus. One step leads to another, and Neo, "much like Alice" goes tumbling down the rabbit- hole, leading to a world-changing (quite literally in this sense) discovery that will cause him to question his very own existence. Right from the start, the plot hooks you, making the viewers themselves feel like Neo, questioning their own existence. Interwoven with the thought of questioning one's own existence, is a religion intertextuality with Neo and Christianity, making the depth of the film felt even more. The writing is fantastic and philosophical, particularly with the dialogue between Neo and Morpheus. It eclipses in the scene with the Oracle and the famous line "There is no spoon", which is where the movie takes a sharp turn. For about ¾ of the movie, I was locked into the originality of the plot and storytelling. However, in the film's final act, specifically around (spoilers) an incredulous scene involving a lobby, the movie collapses onto itself with the most unrealistic and bombastic endings that one could describe as Michael Bay-esque. The final half hour of the movie, while entertaining with fight sequences and explosions, seems pulled out of a video game. You don't feel that the characters are in any real danger at this point, and it all leads to the ending, which is satisfying, but left a sour taste in my mouth because of how unoriginal and cliché it is compared to the rest of the movie.

Despite the problems I had with some of the plot, the film- making is amazing. Never before has a film influenced future movies as the Matrix did. With its famous bullet-time sequence, and choreographed fight scenes, the Matrix set an industry standard that few films have accomplished or eclipsed since then. Finally, let's talk about the acting. The performances are mostly perfect for their characters. Fishburne's enigmatic performance as the audience's guide into the world and Weaving's subdued acting as the monotone and (spoiler) robotic antagonist. However, the one that confuses me is Reeve's performance as Neo. One could argue that due to Neo's character of being Zen-like and unknowing, Reeves is the perfect actor for this role. However, I think any actor of the same age as Reeves could play Neo and the character would have been realized the same.

Overall, The Matrix is groundbreaking in both film-making, world-building, and storytelling, a must-watch for any movie-goer. However, the ending, while satisfying to most audiences, will disappoint those who would expect something different and bold from a truly original movie.

2017-11-19

Really wonderful

Superb science fiction i enjoyed a lot. and even now I'm really inspired with the technology used and really awesome movie. This film is heavy on special effects and brooding paranoia, light on plot, dialogue, character, and even coherence. THE MATRIX challenges what's real and what's part of an elaborate, fake cyber-reality, so it can be confusing for both the audience and the characters in the movie. But it's certainly an ideal pick for the kind of teen who wishes that video games could come to life. Though it's rated R for violence (some pretty gross, including an icky bug that enters the hero's body through his belly button) and language, most teens 14 and up who are begging to see it should be able to handle it without a problem. Thanks

2017-01-08

The BEST

This movie is the absolute best example of the society we live in. It's real, thought invoking and all out brilliant! I enjoy the characters as much as the plots, action scenes and overall message! I would recommend that anyone watch and then re-watch to catch some of the underlying messages. If you are not open minded this movie will merely serve as entertainment.

2017-10-12

Matrix Tricks

*Deeply exhales* The movie MATRIX was indeed a breaking point for movie makers, and it paved way for both marketers, producers, and film makers generally. The era at the time the MATRIX was released really needed something new and different, and this was what the MATRIX was able to deliver. With ground breaking still motions and effects, it was indeed a movie of the time. While being perfectly casted with Keanu Reeves playing NEO, and Carrie-Anne Moss playing Trinity, while leaving the boss himself in the middle of it all, Laurence Fishburne playing Morpheus. Their roles were imbibed in them as if it were their true nature and this really made a significant difference between the so called science and fiction.

2016-06-23

Keanu Reeves kicks machine ass and saves human kind

Don't you enjoy watching movies where people get shot in the head in slow motion? Observing the blood spray out from the back of a head, or a bullet cutting through the air. Watching movies where the main character has crazy super powers or combat skills and defeats the antiheroes by using a very sophisticated plan. Although all action movies have different characters and motives, they usually all follow the same, generic story line. In the beginning, something bad will happen to the main character and throughout the movie, they will come up with a crazy and dangerous plan to take their revenge. Some action movies with this type of story line are Kingsmen, Wanted, and Deadpool. The directors of these movies use computer generated imagery to create special effects such as "bullet time", causing a sense of unreality. These great movie scenes were all derived from the single film that innovated movie production forever, The Matrix. When The Matrix first came out in 1999, there was very little hype about the movie because nobody knew what to expect with the new special effects. The Matrix was a movie with a story line and graphics people have never seen before. When it hit the box office, the audiences were blown away and it smashed old records, winning many Oscars. This movie was extremely successful because it was a complete original film, from the story line to the special effects, The Matrix was like no other movie of its time. If you are not familiar with the Matrix story line, it is the baseline of where most modern day action movies come from. The story opens with the main character, Neo Anderson, living in a false reality with most of the other people living world. We later find out that robots rule the real world, harvesting humans as a source of power by sedating them in an alternate reality where they live their "lives". In order to keep the human race from becoming extinct, a select group of humans are chosen to help fight against the robot army. Their only hope of survival is to find "The One", a select individual with supreme fighting skills that is destined to defeat the robots. As the story goes on, "The One", Neo Anderson, travels between realities to find the robots' power source. Over his missions, he achieves great power, having inhumane physical abilities, resurrection, and the power to stop bullets. Since the story line is original with all the new abilities and powers, the special effects and stunts also have to be original. The Matrix's special effects team, ESC Entertainment, reinvented the meaning of special effects and created an entire new world for the production of movies through their work. There are scenes in the movie that required a new style of special effects because characters would jump from buildings, walk on walls, and have super speed. Before The Matrix, people have never seen these types of stunts and effects in other movies because it was beyond their time. So the crew had to come up with their own, spending weeks on thinking of the best ways to portray these scenes. The Matrix movie invented a very popular effect in which many action movies today use, Bullet Time. When Neo is fighting off the the robots in the matrix reality, he is able to stop and dodge bullets that are flying at him. In these scenes, we are able to see the bullets fly through the air up close and in slow motion. We are also able to see characters dodge these bullets, moving at inhuman speeds. Overall The Matrix is a movie that has innovated movie production today. Ever since this movie came out, the world of special effects has grown exponentially. In movies today, people can't tell that some scenes are fake. The only thing separating them from this unreality is logic and knowing that it is humanly impossible to reenact characters' actions in the real world. Since I do not want to completely spoil the plot for the readers, I will end with saying The Matrix has every aspect of a great movie, an original story line, tons of action, and mind blowing effects, so I highly recommend that you watch it.

2017-10-17

Thought-provoking

I watched this movie for the first time a couple of years ago, and I absolutely love it. I like how the story builds up to the big climax, and the mystery. It's really thought-provoking, which I really like when it comes to movies. I like to think after I've seen something. It's also really entertaining, because there are a lot of action scenes in it too. Great movie 8/10.

2017-10-16

Immensely entertaining, intriguingly philosophical and just about one of the best films ever made!

Writing a review of The Matrix is a very hard thing for me to do because this film means a lot to me and therefore I want to do the film justice by writing a good review. To tell the truth the first time I saw the film I was enamored by the effects. I remember thinking to myself that this was one of the most visually stunning films I had ever seen in my life. Also having always been a comic book fan and a fan of films that were larger than life, the transitional element of the story was very appealing to me and this probably heightened my enjoyment of the film very much. It wasn't until some time later (and after having seen the film a few times more) that I started to think about the film. I recognized the Christian elements quite quickly but it wasn't until I wrote an actual 15-page essay on the film that I tapped into some of the philosophical and religious elements and that made me appreciate the film even more. I won't say that I have recognized all elements because the film is quite literally packed with them.

Acting wise the film works excellently. I won't say that there aren't any issues because there are but overall the acting is pretty flawless. Keanu Reeves plays the main character, Neo, or Thomas A. Anderson and while he is not the perfect actor I think he does a pretty good job in The Matrix (and the sequels). He doesn't have the longest of lines which was probably a deliberate choice from the directors and it works because this gives him a better opportunity to work on posture and facial expressions and I must say that overall his body language is very good. Very clear and well defined. Laurence Fishbourne plays Neo's mentor Morpheus and he does an excellent job of it. His lines flow with a certain confidence and style that makes his character somewhat unique and interesting. Carrie-Anne Moss does a good job as well and succeeds in looking both cool and sexy in her leather outfit. Joe Pantoliano, a critically underrated actor does a brilliant job of bringing his character, Cypher, to life. I can't say much about him because his character is pretty essential to the plot and I certainly don't wan't to spoil it for anyone. Gloria Foster appears in a relatively small role that will have greater significance in the following films and she does a very good job. The best acting is provided by Hugo Weaving, however, in his portrayal of Agent Smith. It is really something to watch him act out the changes in his character. Agent Smith gains some human traits like anger, sense of dread, hate and eventually even a sly sense of humor (mostly in the sequels). Two thumbs way up to Weaving who has created one of the finest screen villains of all time.

Effects wise the film is simply stunning and it deservedly was awarded the Oscar for best effects (and was regrettably cheated out of a nomination in the Best Film category) ahead of even Star Wars. The reason that I think The Matrix deserves the Oscar for best effects is simply that the effects in The Matrix are more innovative than the ones in Star Wars. Just take a look at how many times the effects have been spoofed and you'll probably agree. The effects also help in the symbolism of the film and in creating a very dystopian atmosphere not unlike the one seen in Blade Runner and this works brilliantly. The film looks beautiful at all times and today 6 years later (my God has it already been 6 years?) the effects still hold their ground against new science fiction films. Add the effects to the brilliant editing and you have a visual masterpiece on your hands. Very well done.

The reason that I think The Matrix is more reviewable than pretty much any other film is the story and the philosophical and religious elements of the story because with every viewing I catch something I didn't see the previous time I watched it. Without spoiling the film I think I can mention a few of the more obvious elements. Obviously the film draws on the Messiah myth as Neo is a clear reference to Jesus with the analogy of his name (Neo = one, as in The One) but also hidden in his other name, Thomas A. Anderson. The first part of his last name, Anderson comes from the Greek Andros meaning "man" and combine this with the second part of his last name "son" and add a little creativity you will come up with the combination "son of man" which was a title Jesus came up with about himself. Also the first time we meet Neo a man calls him (and I quote): "You're my Saviour man. My own personal Jesus Christ." It doesn't get any more obvious than that. Aside from the Christianic elements the film also gets its inspiration from Budhism, Gnosticism (Gnosis = knowledge) but is also inspired by Plato and his analogy of the Cave and Jean Baudrillard's essay, Simulacra and Simulations. Explaining these elements would make this review go on forever so aside from mentioning them I will not comment on them further.

To all the people who doubt the profound nature of The Matrix I can only give one advice: Free your mind and watch the film again. You won't regret it. If I had to choose a favorite all time film my choice would probably fall on either The Matrix (obviously I don't expect people to agree but if they do thats great) or The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and I recommend it to all fans of sci-fi and people who like philosophy.

10/10 - on my top 3 of best films.

2005-12-02

What is the Matrix? Well, one of the best films ever, for one thing...

The Matrix...when I first heard about it, I expected just another sci-fi action thriller. Good and filled with insane stunts, but not terribly intelligent.

Boy, was I wrong. Oh, the stunts are there in spades, all right, and yes, they are awesome. And the special effects are absolutely amazing (even if similar ones have been used in other movies as a result- and not explained as well).

But the movie has plot as well. It has characters that I cared about. From Keanu Reeves' excellent portrayal of Neo, the man trying to come to grips with his own identity, to Lawrence Fishburne's mysterious Morpheus, and even the creepy Agents, everyone does a stellar job of making their characters more than just the usual action "hero that kicks butt" and "cannon fodder" roles. I cared about each and every one of the heroes, and hated the villains with a passion. It has a plot, and it has a meaning...and lo and behold, a plot does help the fight scenes! Just try it, if you haven't seen the movie before. Watch one of the fight scenes. Then watch the whole movie. There's a big difference in the feeling and excitement of the scenes- sure, they're great as standalones, but the whole thing put together is an experience unlike just about everything else that's come to the theaters. Think about it next time you're watching one of the more brainless action flicks...think how much better it COULD be.

All I can say is WATCH THIS MOVIE. If you haven't, you're missing out on one of the best films of all time. It isn't just special effects, folks.